Tennessee State to Add Men's Club Hockey in 2024

According to multiple published reports from earlier this week, Tennessee State University is establishing a men's club ice hockey program that is expected to begin play with the 2024-25 season. The announcement was made in conjunction with the 2023 National Hockey League Entry Draft that was held Wednesday and Thursday in Nashville, the home of both Tennessee State and the NHL's Nashville Predators.

TSU would be the first historically black college or university (HBCU) to offer men's ice hockey at the collegiate level. The university's ultimate goal is to apparently move up to NCAA Division I in the near future, possibly by the 2026-27 campaign, while also eventually adding an NCAA Division I women's team. 

TSU first explored adding ice hockey two years ago, by conducting a feasibility study along with the NHL. Should the Tigers ultimately make the move to NCAA Division I, they would be the first men's hockey program team at that level in the south since the University of Alabama-Huntsville suspended operations in 2021.

Fantilli Leads All NCAA-Related Players Drafted in 2023 NHL First Round

Adam Fantilli (Michigan) was taken third in the first round of the 2023 NHL Entry Draft tonight in Nashville, the highest-ranking college-related player selected among the 32 NHL teams.

Projected to be tabbed as high as second overall, Fantilli, 18, was chosen by the Columbus Blue Jackets following a freshman campaign that saw him tally 30 goals and 35 assists for a nation-best 65 points as he led the Wolverines to a Big Ten tournament title and the 2023 NCAA Frozen Four in Tampa. He also won the Hobey Baker Memorial Award as the top player in NCAA Division I men's hockey, and earned All-Big Ten Rookie of the Year and First Team All-America accolades. The Toronto native, who also won gold medals this year at both the IIHF World Junior Championship and IIHF World Championship with Canada, has not yet indicated whether he will return to Michigan for his sophomore season or not.

The only other skaters chosen in the first round who played in the NCAA last year were Matthew Wood (UConn), who went 15th overall to the host Nashville Predators, and Charlie Stramel (Wisconsin), who was taken 21st overall by the Minnesota Wild. Wood tallied 11-23—34 points in 35 games last season for the Huskies, while Stramel posted 5-7—12 points in 33 outings for the Badgers. Fantilli, Wood and Stramel are all forwards, with Fantilli and Stramel lining up at center, and Wood at right wing.

Six other players—five forwards and one defenseman—were taken in the first round who are scheduled to begin their NCAA careers this fall. They include (name, position, selection, NHL team, school):

• William Smith, C, 4th, San Jose (Boston College)

• Ryan Leonard, RW, 8th, Washington (Boston College)

• Tom Willander, D, 11th, Vancouver (Boston University) 

• Oliver Moore, C, 19th, Chicago (Minnesota)

• Gabe Perreault, RW, 23rd, NY Rangers (Boston College)

• Bradly Nadeau, C, 30th, Carolina (Maine)

Smith, Leonard and Perreault were all linemates with the U.S. National Team Development Program last season in Plymouth, Mich., combining for an outstanding 353 points with the U.S. Under-18 Team. Willander played junior hockey with Rogles in his native Sweden, recording 25 points, and also helped his home country to a silver medal at the 2023 IIHF World Under-18 Championship. Moore put up 75 points this past year with the U.S. Under-18 Team, while Nadeau skated the past two seasons with Penticton (BCHL) and totaled 159 points over that span.

Rounds Two through Seven, the conclusion of this year's NHL Draft, will begin Thursday morning at 11 a.m. ET (NHL Network, ESPN+, SportsNet, TVA Sports).

ADDENDUM: Fantilli subsequently signed an entry-level contract with Columbus, relinquishing his remaining NCAA eligibility ... The full list of players with NCAA ties who were drafted this year can be found here. Boston College led all schools with six current/incoming players drafted, all of them incoming freshmen.

Beniers Claims 2022-23 Calder Trophy

Matty Beniers (Michigan) is the 2022-23 recipient of the Calder Trophy as top rookie in the National Hockey League. The award was presented Monday night in Nashville, site of this year's NHL Entry Draft that will commence on Wednesday.

Beniers, 20, recorded 24 goals and 33 assists for 57 points and just two penalty minutes in 80 regular-season games this year for the second-year Kraken franchise. He then added three goals and seven points in 14 Stanley Cup Playoff contests as Seattle ousted the defending Cup champion Colorado Avalanche in the first round, before falling to the Dallas Stars in the second round, both in seven games.

Originally committed to play for Harvard, Beniers. a center, instead pivoted to Michigan when the Ivy League schools decided to sit out the 2020-21 campaign due to COVID-19. In two years and 61 outings at Michigan, he notched 30-37–67 points and 16 PIM in helping the Wolverines to two NCAA tournament berths, including the 2022 NCAA Frozen Four in Boston, plus a Big Ten tournament title. He actually made his NHL audition by playing 10 games with the Kraken soon afterwards last spring, registering three goals and nine points points in that span, and has recorded a total of 27-39–66 points in 90 NHL regular-season appearances to date.

A native of Hingham, Mass. and a product of the U.S. National Team Development Program, Beniers was originally selected second overall by expansion Seattle in the 2021 NHL Entry Draft.

Hershey Wins in OT, Claims 12th Calder Cup

The oldest franchise in the American Hockey League edged its newest organization for this year's playoff title, with two former NCAA champions leading the way.

Mike Vecchione (Union) scored off a rebound with 3:41 remaining in overtime, and Hunter Shepard (Minnesota-Duluth) made 45 saves in all tonight as the Hershey Bears won the Calder Cup over the first-year Coachella Valley Firebirds, 3-2, at a sold-out Acrisure Arena in Palm Desert, Cal.

Hershey claims its record 12th Calder Cup, in its 85th year of operation. After falling behind, 2-0, this evening, the Bears scored twice in the second period to knot matters before becoming the first team in this series to win a game on the road. Hershey won four of the last five games of the series, all by one goal, including three in overtime, after dropping the first two contests.

Shepard, who also backstopped UMD to consecutive NCAA titles in 2018 and 2019, also won this year's Jack A. Butterfield Trophy as the AHL playoff MVP, after fashioning a 14-6 record with a 2.27 goals-against average and three shutouts. Vecchione, who helped Union to a national collegiate title in 2014, is the first player in AHL history to score the Calder Cup-clinching goal in a Game Seven in overtime. Joey Daccord (Arizona State) stopped 35 shots for Coachella Valley, which came within a goal of winning its first Calder Cup in its inaugural season of play.

Other former NCAA players on this year's Bears playoff roster included: Sam Anas (Quinnipiac), Logan Day (Providence/Endicott), Ethen Frank (Western Michigan), Shane Gersich (North Dakota), Mason Morelli (Nebraska-Omaha), Bobby Nardella (Notre Dame), Aaron Ness (Minnesota), Joe Snively (Yale), 

Hershey's victory tonight also concludes the 2022-23 hockey season as a whole.

Bears, Firebirds Tied up in AHL Final

Mike Vecchione (Union) scored two goals, and also helped set up the game-winner by Ethen Frank (Western Michigan) as the Hershey Bears defeated the Coachella Valley Firebirds, 3-2, on Thursday night in Game Four of the 2023 Calder Cup Final at Giant Center in Hershey, Pa. The best-of-seven AHL championship series is now knotted at two games apiece, with the home team having won each of the four previous contests. 

A member of Union's 2014 NCAA championship team, Vecchione scored Hershey's first two goals, the first on a power play to open the game, and the second one breaking a 1-1 tie early in the second period. Frank, who tallied 30 goals during the 2022-23 AHL regular season, then connected late in the middle stanza for the game-winner for Hershey, the primary affiliate of the NHL's Washington Capitals. The Bears are seeking their 12th Calder Cup overall, and first since claiming back-to-back crowns in 2009 and 2010. Hunter Sheppard (Minnesota-Duluth), who won consecutive NCAA titles in 2018 and 2019 with UMD, stopped 21 shots to earn the win in goal for Hershey.

Austin Poganski (North Dakota) scored the first goal for the AHL Western Conference champion Firebirds, who are in their inaugural season, and are the affiliate of the NHL's Seattle Kraken. Joey Daccord (Arizona State) made 25 stops in defeat for Coachella Valley.

Game Five is tonight in Hershey at 8 p.m. ET, while Game Six will be contested at Acrisure Arena in Palm Desert, Ca. on Monday at 10 p.m. ET. Both games will be televised on NHL Network.

ADDENDUM: Hershey took Game Five in overtime, 1-0, while Coachella Valley rallied for a 5-2 victory in Game Six. The deciding Game Seven will be contested on Wednesday, June 21, at 10 p.m. ET at Acrisure Arena, with the winner claiming the Calder Cup.

Vegas Wins First-Ever Stanley Cup

Reilly Smith (Miami) notched the decisive goal, Alec Martinez (Miami) added another score, and Jack Eichel (Boston University) posted three assists on the night as the Vegas Golden Knights won their first-ever Stanley Cup with a 9-3 rout of the visiting Florida Panthers on Tuesday night. Vegas won the best-of-seven series, four games to one, one year after missing the playoffs entirely..

Vegas, which made the Cup final during its inaugural NHL campaign in 2017-18 but lost to Washington, won its first championship in its sixth season after ousting Winnipeg, Edmonton and Dallas to claim the Western Conference crown. Florida, in the final for the first time since 1996, fell short again after defeating Boston, Toronto and Carolina to win the Eastern Conference this spring.

Smith tallied the game-winning goal just over 12 minutes into the second period to make it 4-1, less than two minutes after Martinez scored for Vegas before a record 19,058 on-lookers at T-Mobile Arena. Eichel, playing in his first-ever pro postseason, finished with 26 points on six goals and 20 assists in 22 games. In the final, he registered eight assists in five games. Martinez won his third career Cup, having previously helped the Los Angeles Kings to their first-ever league titles in 2012 and 2014.

Other former NCAA players on the Golden Knights' roster this spring included: Teddy Blueger (Minnesota State); Paul Cotter (Western Michigan); Ben Hutton (Maine); Phil Kessel (Minnesota); Jonathan Quick (UMass), and; Zach Whitecloud (Bemidji State). Kessel and Quick, who did not play in the final, each won their third Cup.

Laviolette Returns to Rangers as Head Coach

Peter Laviolette (Westfield State) will give the NHL another try.

Laviolette, 58, has been named the new head coach of the New York Rangers. It is his sixth stop in an NHL head coaching career that began in 2001-02 with the New York Islanders. He has also mentored the Carolina Hurricanes, Philadelphia Flyers, Nashville Predators and Washington Capitals, and spent the last three years in Washington before partying ways with the Capitals in April. He coached Carolina to a Stanley Cup title in 2006, and also guided Philadelphia (2010) and Nashville (2017) to the Stanley Cup Final.

A defenseman on the 1988 U.S. Olympic Team, Laviolette played four years in college at Westfield State, and 10 full seasons professionally in a myriad of locales. He also skated in 12 career NHL games, all with the Rangers in 1988-89. He retired as a player in 1997 and then spent one season as head coach in Wheeling (ECHL) before serving two years as head coach with Providence (AHL), winning the Calder Cup in his first season with the P-Bruins. He then worked one year as an assistant with the NHL's Boston Bruins before embarking on his head coaching career, all with NH organizations.

Laviolette, from Westfield, Mass. has posted an NHL career regular-season record of 752-503-25-150 in 1,430 games, and is 78-76 all-time in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. He is also the winningest American-born coach in NHL history.

ADDENDUM: Anaheim recently hired Greg Cronin (Colby) as its newest head coach, his first head coaching position at that level. The Arlington, Mass native spent eight seasons in all as an assistant coach with Maine and Colorado College, before helming Maine for two abbreviated seasons as a temporary replacement for the then-suspended Shawn Walsh. He later served as head coach at Northeastern for six seasons (2005-2011), in-between stints as an AHL assistant with the New York Islanders and Toronto Maple Leafs. Previously the head coach of Bridgeport (AHL) from 2003 to 2005, Cronin, 60, spent the last five seasons as head coach with Colorado (AHL), winning 164 regular-season games in all.

Everblades Win Second Straight ECHL Title

The Florida Everblades are ECHL playoff champions for the second straight season. The Everblades, who began play in 1998, won their third Kelly Cup in six ECHL finals appearances all-time since 2004, by finishing a four-step sweep of the Idaho Steelheads with a 4-3 win in Estero, Fla. on Friday night. Tyler Irvine (Merrimack) notched the game-winning goal with 12 minutes remaining in regulation to break a three-all tie, with an assist going to Brandon Hickey (Boston University).

Cam Johnson (North Dakota) earned the June M. Kelly Playoffs Most Valuable Player Award for the second consecutive year, after backstopping the Everblades to the title with a 16-4-2 record and a 2.10 goals-against average in 22 postseason contests this spring. He stopped 32 out of 35 shots in the clinching contest to close out the Everblades 25th anniversary season.

Other players with NCAA experience who were part of Florida's 2023 playoff run included Ashton Calder (Lake Superior/North Dakota/Penn State), William Calverley (RIT), Oliver Chau (UMass/Quinnipiac), Cameron Darcy (Northeastern), Lukas Kaelble (Lake Superior/Clarkson), Logan Lambdin (Michigan State), Ben Masella (St. Lawrence), John McCarron (Cornell), Zachary Uens (Merrimack) and Blake Winiecki (St. Cloud). 

Calverley scored the only goal of the game in Florida's 1-0 triumph in Game Three on Wednesday, while Lambdin notched two goals and set up another in a 5-3 win in Game Two. Chau potted the game-winner in Game One in the Everblades' 3-2 overtime victory, after setting up the tying goal in the third period.

Vegas Up Two Games in Stanley Cup Final

Jack Eichel (Boston University) set up two goals and Alec Martinez (Miami) scored another as the Vegas Golden Knights routed the visiting Florida Panthers, 7-2, last night to take a two games to none lead in the best-of-seven 2023 Stanley Cup Final.

Eichel assisted on Vegas' first and fifth goals, while Martinez notched the second goal of the game for the Golden Knights, who have outscored the Panthers, 12-4, though the first two games of the series. Eichel is also tied for second among NHL skaters this postseason with 22 points in 19 games, and has recorded four assists so far in the final.

Game Three is Thursday night in Sunrise, Fla. Both clubs are seeking the first-ever Stanley Cup in their respective franchise's history.

GLI to Remain in Grand Rapids Through 2026

The venerable Great Lakes Invitational has found a new regular home, at least for the next few seasons.

It was announced last week that the GLI will continue to be played at Van Andel Arena in Grand Rapids, Mich., where it was contested last year after more than a half-century of being played largely in the Detroit area. The new agreement runs through 2026, with the tournament to be played in the month of December. 

Next year's field will include Ferris State, Michigan Tech, Western Michigan and first-time participant Alaska (Fairbanks). Last year's participants included Ferris State, Michigan State, Michigan Tech, and Western Michigan, with WMU winning the tournament.

The GLI fields for the following three seasons are as follows:

2024 - Michigan State, Michigan Tech, Northern Michigan, Western Michigan

2025 - Ferris State, Miami, Michigan State, Michigan Tech

2026 - Michigan State, Michigan Tech, Notre Dame, Western Michigan

Michigan, which holds the record with 17 GLI championships, is not scheduled to participate in any of the upcoming years, after also sitting out last season for the first time since 1973.

Home of the AHL's Grand Rapids Griffins since its opening in 1996, the VAA seats 10,834 spectators for hockey. It has also hosted several NCAA men's hockey regionals in its existence, along with several non-tournament college contests.

2023 Stanley Cup Final Starts Tonight

The 2023 Stanley Cup Final has arrived. A number of former NCAA players can be found on both sides as the Florida Panthers take on the Vegas Golden Knights, starting tonight in Nevada, as each club seeks its first-ever NHL postseason title:

Florida Panthers 

Zac Dalpe (Ohio State)

Casey Fitzgerald (Boston College)

Matthew Kiersted (North Dakota)

Spencer Knight (Boston College)

Ryan Lomberg (Maine)

Alex Lyon (Yale)

Colin White (Boston College)

Vegas Golden Knights

Teddy Blueger (Minnesota State)

Paul Cotter (Western Michigan)

Jack Eichel (Boston University)

Ben Hutton (Maine)

Phil Kessel (Minnesota) *

Alec Martinez (Miami) *

Jonathan Quick (UMass) *

Reilly Smith (Miami)

Zach Whitecloud (Bemidji State)

* Indicates previous Stanley Cup winner

The best-of-seven series continues Tuesday in Vegas, then shifts to Florida on Thursday and next Saturday for Games Three and Four. All games will start at 8 p.m. ET. (Sportsnet, TBS, TNT)

Carbery Named New Capitals Head Coach

Spencer Carbery (St. Norbert/Alaska Anchorage) is the new head coach of the NHL's Washington Capitals. He succeeds Peter Laviolette (Westfield State), who parted ways with Washington in April after the Caps missed the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the first time in eight seasons.

Carbery, 41, from Victoria, British Columbia, began his coaching career in 2010-11 with South Carolina (ECHL) as an assistant, then spent the next six seasons there as head coach of the Stingrays, leading them to the Kelly  Cup Final in 2015. After one season in major junior as head coach of Saginaw (OHL), he went to Providence (AHL) as an assistant for a year before taking the reins of Hershey (AHL) in Washington's system for three seasons. He spent the last two years as an assistant with the NHL's Toronto Maple Leafs.

Carbery played one season at UAA (2002-03), notching a goal and two assists in 26 outings before skating at left wing for St. Norbert for three years, where he totaled 55-45–100 points in 87 appearances while helping the Green Knights to two NCAA Division III national championship games. He then played four seasons professionally, the last three in the ECHL and the last two as an assistant captain with South Carolina, before turning to coaching.

ADDENDUM: The NHL's Nashville Predators have parted ways with head coach John Hynes (Boston University) after three-plus seasons, while Colgate University has hired all-time leading scorer and former assistant coach Mike Harder as its new men's hockey head coach.